Do you ever read a command of Jesus and think or say, "Come on...really?"  The command of John 14:1 may lead to that response.  There is a lot to be troubled about!  When I pray early in the morning for our church family and missionaries I am often overwhelmed with the needs.  There are so many unreached people.  There are so many people in desparate physical need.  There are so many people sick and in relational difficulty that my heart can hardly take it.  Then, when I consider my own failures and sins it is enough to put me in despair.  But the Lord of Heaven and earth says to us, "Let not your hearts be troubled."  It is a command, literally, "Stop letting your hearts be troubled."  This must be common to all mankind; this tendency toward a troubled heart is so common that even the Son of Man had a troubled heart at one time at least!  (John 12:27)  The cure for the troubled heart is not complicated, it is just hard!  It is summarized in a simple word..."believe."  In other words Jesus says, "Trust Me."  Especially think about what is to come and why and rest in Him.  Is this possible in the "real world?"

Most of us were probably not givers at birth.  In fact, if we are honest, we entered this world as takers.  It had to be that way for a while because of our dependence.  We perfected our selfishness over time until someone or something brought another way to our thinking.  We had to stop and repent of the way we viewed "money and stuff" and start thinking about possessions in a different way.  I am thankful that my parents taught me about giving to the Lord and to others.  I would watch my dad put his check in the offering each week.  I would peek at the number and wonder why he gave that much money.  I began to think that all adults did this.  "Giving is normal," I thought.  Then, when I had money to give I did not want to give it.  Giving however, made me want to give it anyway.  I can't explain how that all worked I only know that it started sitting with my parents in church and watching their example.  How about you?